Why a website on rail awareness? Take a look at the following:

• 1/11/22 UP train collides with pedestrian on tracks in Reno, NV - woman killed
• 2/7/21 UP train collides with pedestrian in Tucson, AZ - pedestrian killed
• 2/13/22 Brightline train collides with vehicle trying to beat the train in Lake Worth Beach, FL - person in vehicle killed
• 2/14/22 Brightline train collides with car that drove onto tracks in Del Ray Beach, FL - woman and child escaped from the car
• 2/16/22 Brightline train collides with car that went around downed gates and warning lights in Palm Beach County, FL - split the vehicle in half with a passenger inside suffering incapacitating injuries
• 2/17/22 The VC 100 Line to Los Angeles collides with pedestrian on the tracks in Burbank, CA - pedestrian killed
• 2/18/22 Amtrak train collides with pedestrian in Carlsbad, CA - pedestrian killed
• 2/21/22 Train collides with teenager walking on tracks while looking at phone in San Marcos, TX - teenager killed
• 3/1/22 UP train collides with person on the track in Independence, MO - woman killed
• 3/9/22 CSX train hits SUV where driver drove thru a railroad stop arm - all four passengers killed
• 3/10/22 Caltrain collides with on-track construction vehicle on the tracks in San Bruno, CA - huge fireball and 13 people injured

These are just a handful of the many collisions between trains and cars or pedestrians in the first quarter of 2022. In each of these incidents, drivers or pedestrians have failed to yield way to an oncoming train, either through ignorance of train operations, lack of situational awareness or with thinking that they can "beat the train". Remember, trains can't swerve out of the way and often it takes more than a mile for a train to stop.

Every three hours in the United States, a person is involved in a collision with a train in either a vehicle or as a pedestrian. What is so amazing, is that all of these occurrences could be prevented.

Ben Porritt, the senior vice president of Brightline corporate affairs stressed in a news conference, that none of these recent incidents have been the fault of Brightline. Instead, there needs to be a better focus on education and proper behavior around railroad tracks.

Rail safety awareness is the primary goal of the Rail Auxiliary Teams. Our desire is to educate the public about the dangers surrounding trains / railroad tracks and to instill in the public a desire to do the right thing when it comes to being around trains and tracks.

Saving a few minutes in taking a shortcut across a train bridge or going around down rail crossings is not worth the possibility of being hit by a train. There is ALWAYS the POSSIBILITY of a train.